


Hunted? No, The Hunter

by Writing_Frenzy



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Accidental Abandonment, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Slight Cannibalism, Violence, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:02:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3233870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_Frenzy/pseuds/Writing_Frenzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summery: Many things have different effects. And when 7-year old Sawada Tsunayoshi gets accidentally left behind in the infected streets of Tokyo, one of those effects start to show. </p>
<p>(Don't own KHR. Warning: ZOMBIES! Violence! And kinda cannibalism?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hunted? No, The Hunter

**Author's Note:**

> ... I blame my friends for marathon-ing Zombie movies and games. They're assholes.   
>  Well, hopefully others can enjoy this why I suffer from nightmares now.

_I*Beginning*I_ ****

Tsuna was confused. (And scared, but he's a big boy, he can handle it.) 

Then again, ever since his tou-san and his boss came to visit, he finds it very easy to get confused. But this situation is even more confusing then normal.

When Kaa-san took him to the big city due to winning the chance at the supermarket, the little boy did not expect to be attacked by sick people. The sick people made a lot of other people panic, which made them move all over the place, separating him from his Kaa-san.

(He missed her more then the fingers he could count on his hands.)

Soon though, the little brunet found that if he didn't move someone would step on him, so he went to hide by a big dumpster in an alley.

After a lot more noise filled with what sounded like fireworks and angry shooting, it got quiet.

Tsuna soon found out that was because only the sick people where left, moaning and crying.

Tsuna was admittedly scared of the ill people, as they attacked anyone they saw, so he kept out of their way.

At least all his running and hiding from bullies came in useful. And as most of the ill people couldn't climb things, Tsuna was alright.

But now he had a problem; it's been a few days since he's really eaten and the place he went for food is blocked by the sick people. Like it has for the past couple of days. And it's not like he can just go to any store to get food; the other ones have alarms that get the sick people's attention, while others are filled with them already. 

But he's been out of food for a while and he just ran out of water yesterday. He  _needs_  to go to the store.

Especially since his heart started hurting, along with the headaches. Though at least the do-this feeling is back, otherwise he probably never would have lasted this long. It's been helpful in telling him when is the best time to go, when to wake up, and where a lot of the unwell people are.

But now it's telling him he needs food, but not to go to that store. In fact, every store he seems to look at is not somewhere he wants to be.

So, after a lot of thinking, Tsuna decided to try the store he knew best, even if it was blocked. He would just try through the back way.

He really shouldn't have done that.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiie!" the brown eyed boy cried, tears streaming down his face in fear as a rather red covered sick person wrapped him up in her tongue.

He didn't want to die! That's what happened to others when the sick people bit them, his feeling told him so!

He didn't want to be here, he wanted to go home, to his Kaa-san, to his Tou-san, even his school with bullies and the scary boy who bit people with his sticks.

HE WANTED TO GO HOME!!!

Now, while the seal Vongola Nono placed on Tsunayoshi kept his flames held back, it was tailored to do so for a healthy and non-traumatized boy. Spending a month in a zombie infested city and surviving on anything edible, easy to open, and required no cooking did not keep a young boy healthy and trauma free.

Add all of that together, plus the high emotions and sheer will to live, the seal was torn through like wrapping paper on Christmas day. Except this was more... explosive.

As shown by the utter release of months worth of pure Sky flames.

The zombie didn't have a chance before it was basically roasted like a pig over an open fire.

As the flames died down, the heat warding off any other undead, Tsuna was now in Dying Will state. The mindset where he is totally in the thrall of his instincts and last regret, following them as if he were an animal.

And those instincts are telling his hungry body that there is food close by, just in front of him. It doesn't matter if the thing used to be human, it had tried to eat him earlier and it is no longer even alive.

Besides, he  _needs to eat_. If he doesn't eat, how will he be able to gain the energy to go home? Namimori is far from the city after all.

So for the first time in a month, the little boy with glowing gold-orange eyes eats his fill, uncaring that it's a corpse.

It is now  _his_  food.

_II*Adaption*II_

Dying Will Mode is basically a more primal form of the mental state, driven by a great regret or a last wish; anyone can enter it if desperate enough, even those who can't access their flames.

But the thing about DWM is that once you accomplish what you have set out to do, you'll go back to your previous state, if a bit more tired then before. Normally, a person accomplishes what they need to quickly, so that the primal mind set doesn't effect them too much.

No one, not even the most scientific of the mafia, knows the effects of extended DWM on the human conscious over long periods of time. Mostly because the majority of people do not have the amounts of flames capable to last over an hour. 

But when little Tsunayoshi activated this mode, the last regret he had was to go home. Meaning he would have to go from the large city that was Tokyo to Namimori, with hundreds of miles between. And as there was no form of transportation available to him now, he would have to walk.

Now, most children do not have a large amount of flames at their disposal. They would not be able to hold DWM for even ten minutes. Tsuna on the other hand has an alarming amount of flames in his body, to the point where it could have hurt him or anyone near him any time he had a tantrum. It was for this reason that the Ninth had placed the dampening seal on him.

(What the Nono did not know what that the seal was suppose to be broken then reapplied ever year so as to not cause any ill effects on the person. Couple that with the incompatible flames, Tsuna was already feeling the negative effects.)

But with DWM his flames now had the brunet's instincts to follow and also the subconscious needs. So not only was the boy now able to instinctively attack and defend himself, his body would also heal at a faster rate, his subconscious mind sighting a need to turn some of his Sky flame into Sun to fix some of the damage.

And even make some adjustments due to his new diet.

Sharper teeth and nails able to easily chew and claw through flesh. Stronger immune system and stomach acid to purge the infection that his sky flames wasn't able to burn out. Adjusted his body and mind so that it could do with less hours to sleep, along with heat vision so that he could see any threats at night. And also adding a slight tan to his skin, so that it would not burn in the sun's rays after walking for so long.

Adaption at it's finest.

And then Tsuna's normal mind set and DWM merged.

Tsuna had accidentally activated Hyper Dying Will Mode.

Just in time too. 

_III*Rescue*III_  

Tsuna blinked as he took in the people passing by his resting place, his glowing gold-orange eyes shinning in curiosity. He hasn't seen healthy people since he got left in the city, so it was interesting to see some.

From what he saw, it was a pair of two families with one extra, one that was a mother with her two children (daughter and son), while the other a father and son pair, the extra a blue haired girl.  

Blinking again, Tsuna's eyes widen as he recognized one of the pairs; it was Yamamoto-san and his father! He remembers going to the sushi place the small family owns. And his do-this feeling is telling him they're going home! 

Maybe they could help each other get home?

Just as the little brunet was about to approach, he stiffened; his do-this sense told him something was coming.

Something not good.

Looking a bit to the east, Tsuna's eyes widen when he takes in the crowd of sick people coming at the group, a few leaping along with them.

The brunet doesn't like Leapers. They're very hard to catch. (Yamamoto's tou-san seems to agree with him, though he thinks it's for different reasons.)

Watching as Yamamoto-san takes out as shinny sword, the glowing eyed boy watches how he slices through the sick people so easily, just like his hands can now do, as the others in the group try and get to higher ground on a fire escape.

The very much changed little boy frowns when he sees how the swordsman is getting slower in his movements, how his slashes and swipes get more sloppy, how the sick people are starting to be able to get closer. It looks like he's getting tired.

Then one of Leapers jumps, aiming for the little red haired boy, the sushi chef not noticing it due to his fight.

Tsuna knows he has to do something; if he doesn't, they'll get hurt, maybe even die.

The do-this feeling told him so!

(And despite how changed he is, Sawada Tsunayoshi is still a little boy who hates being alone and craves for friends above all else.)

So he lets loose the pretty orange flame, hitting all the sick people and leaving the healthy ones untouched.

That should do it. (And he even got lunch!)

_IV*Meetings*IV_

Yamamoto Takeshi didn't exactly know what to think of the world now.

Gripping his bat tighter (not looking at where blood has spattered on the metal), the baseball obsessed boy took in his dad fighting off the zombies.

Actual, real life, eat you up zombies.

The amber eyed boy didn't think he'd ever be able to watch another horror movie or game again after spending a month in this infested city.

The eight year old had gone to the city because his dad needed to renew some of his shipping contacts for the store, and he had to be there in person. And since he didn't know how long he would be gone, Takeshi went with him.

Then everything went crazy. Because of the zombies. And while things were tough, when ever things calmed down and they were listening to the radio the Irie family had, the amber eyed kid found it much easier to smile for his dad, who looked like he needed it.

(Even though on the inside, he missed the game he loved, even though other's expectations were weighing down on him.)

"Shoichi-kun!" was suddenly cried by Nagi-chan, who couldn't really scream or shout that well. Turning to see what was going on, the raven-haired boy gasped when he saw the undead that leaped to attack the red head boy burst into orange flames.

In fact, all the zombies were being burned.

After checking the area, his dad then joined them on the fire escape, urging them to hurry to the roof for shelter that night.

"What was that fire, Yamamoto-san? It just came out of nowhere!" Irie-sensei (Shoichi's mom) asked, the question on everyone's mind.

No one expect the answer they got.

"That was me." a childish, yet rough voice answered, causing everyone to turn to the source.

How did someone get up here? His dad had checked to see if it was safe from zombies and they would have heard someone come up the rusty-

Takeshi's thoughts paused when he saw a boy, maybe a year or so younger then him, before their group.

He was tanned skinned with clothes that had seen much better days, hair spiky and unkempt, though it wasn't these feature that got his attention, or that he felt like he should know this person.

It was the glowing gold-orange eyes and black stained nails that drew the younger Yamamoto's attention.

And also his father's.

"Wh-o are you? And why did you help us?" Yamamoto Tsuyoshi asked pleasantly, though his son could see him griping the handle of his sword.

While they haven't seen any children infected, nor ones that could talk, that didn't mean that they didn't exist.

Takeshi swallowed roughly. Could this be what he could be like in the future, if they don't make it to Namimori, which was being protected to this day by the Hibari family. (This was a piece of news that brought hope to both families when they heard it over the radio.)

He didn't want to think of it.

The possibly a Zombie-Kid blinked at his father, his head tilted to the side as he seems to considered the question.

"Oh!" They said, as if he had a light bulb moment like they had in cartoons, "Don't worry, I'm not sick, so I won't bite you!" And then he smiles, showing off sharp teeth that look like they could cut through bone easily.  

"That's nice to know, but that doesn't answer why you helped us." his father says, hand not leaving his sword.

"Well, isn't that the right thing to do, help people? Besides, you're also going to Namimori, right?" Takeshi can't help the intake of breath, hands griping his bat.

"How do you know that?" Tsuyoshi asks, his son's movements mimicked on his sword.

"The do-this feeling said so! Anyways, I wanna go home too Yamamoto-san!" The boy says, moving forward a step, paying no mind to the way his dad draws his blade, even though the man's eyes widen at his name being said.

It's the pleading expression on the familiar face that Takeshi recognizes.

"Sawada-kun?" the young boy blurts out, his jaw dropped and his eyes wide as shock comes over him.

And Sawada turns to face him as his father tenses, ready in case this little boy tries anything.

But the brunet only smiles (which is somehow both heartwarming and terrifying), obviously happy at being recognized.

"Hi Yamamoto-kun! And thank you for not calling me dame or ever being mean to me. I've always wanted to be friends. But I've never had a friend before, so I don't know if I'll be any good, so I never asked. I would really like to be friends with you, if you want to when we get home again!" And Yamamoto doesn't know if he should just smile and nod or hug the poor guy.

Despite looking worse then he has ever seen him, the amber eyed boy can't ever recall seeing Tsuna so happy/excited or hopeful.

So the youth goes with his gut and gives Tsuna an one-armed hug and says, "Sure, I'll like that. But how about we start now instead?"

The world may have gone crazy and he may not be able to play the sport he loves, but at least there are still good things in it.

_V*Survival*V_

Irie Shoichi knew the only reason they were alive was because of Sawada Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto's Takeshi's loyalty to his new friend.

While none of the group he could tell knew what to think of the strange boy or his... diet, it did not stop facts from being facts.

The swordsman in their group who was apparently also a sushi chef was a great assent to the group, his fighting ability a literal lifesaver. It also didn't hurt that his son was not only wicked with a bat, but anything shaped like a small sphere was able to be thrown rather dangerously fast.

But it still didn't make up for the dead weight the rest of the group was at the time. He and his family, made up of a teacher, his junior high school sister, and a little kid that could make and fix mechanical stuff. (Which is how they even had a radio in the first place; he had been the one to find and fix it up, in hope for any sort of news.) And then their was Nagi-san, no last name given, who had been found by herself as it seems her parents had left her. (He really hoped it wasn't on purpose.)

So while their working radio and sympathy for the younger's girl's situation kept them a group, he could see the troubled expression on the only adult man in their group, how he would look at the food supplies and his son's smile. 

Survival of the fittest, it seems. And while in some part of his mind he understands, on the other part he can't help but feel betrayed and angry at the man's thoughts on leaving them to die. And they would die, no doubt about that.

A brunet with glowing eyes changed everything. Promising to help him to Namimori as well was what made him a part of their group, thus making him a part of their survival. 

It started with an off hand comment.

"I'd feel better if we'd had a solid way to fight; it sucks that none of us can't do anything if an undead sucker attacks, besides the Yamamoto's." Yuuki, his sister, said, her fingers twitching, (showing her video game withdraw). Shoichi would admit, this was something that worried him as well.

"You mean you need weapons?" is asked, Tsuna popping up from no where.

"GAH! Little freeky dude, please stop doing that." His sister asks, hand to her heart. He couldn't help but hold his arms around his stomach, nervous around the boy, despite spending two days with him.

During those two days, the older Yamamoto had been looking over maps, trying to find the best ways back home and get more supplies before they leave. He hasn't had much luck. Didn't help that they found out just what the boy ate during those days.

(They all nearly up and planned to leave him in the night, if it wasn't for Yamamoto Takeshi surprisingly steadfast loyalty to the brunet, as well as the fact the boy never seemed to sleep. Looking back, he is so grateful for those two things.)

"Sorry, but I heard you need weapons?" Glowing eyes stared, narrowed in what the red heads thought meant he was thinking hard.

"Weapons, food, a carriage, games stations. What don't we need? Why do you want to know?" the darker red haired female of the siblings asked, her question rhetorical. 

"Okay, I gotcha." And then he left, as if he wasn't ever there.

He didn't appear again until the next day, when the adults were getting everything ready. (Yamamoto-kun kept asking why they were getting ready now, when Tsuna didn't come back yet... That boy's nativity is worrisome, even if it is also a defense mechanism )

"Irie-onee-chan! I got the stuff!" is then called out by the familar voice. Turning to him, everyone takes a double take.

The boy is on one of those bicycle pulled carriages, one that looks like it can just barely fit them and the stuff in it.

And what stuff it is. 

Coolers filled with ice, able to keep perishable items fresh for quite awhile, non-perishables that would keep even longer in bags stacked on top of one another.

And weapons; ranging from guns and bullets, to melee weapons from crowbars to a trident too. Even a few swords are there.

While the journey will be cramped in the four seat mode of transportation (it did get a lot better after they ate most of the food, and with Takeshi volunteering to ride on the pegs of the bike) it was also faster, especially with the tiny brunet driving. 

It was probably then that their group accepted the strange boy who had joined them.

He was sold at the first bite of peaches he tasted from one of the cans Sawada brought.

(Though he thinks his sister is contemplating marriage when the boy not only gives her a bag of portable game systems and games, but is able to charge them with a weird green flame through the chargers.)

_VI*Heal*VI_

Nagi couldn't help but cry, the pain in her leg nearly unbearable.

She had been bit.

She had been helping the other set up camp, gathering a few sticks for fire with Yuuki, who was really good with a crowbar, when a monster attacked her, managing to bit her leg before the older red haired girl had been able to bash it's head in.

And things were going so well! They had been nearing Namimori, probably two, maybe three days away thanks to Tsuna-san, who smiled so beautifully to the girl, even if he was strange.

But now she wouldn't be able to see that smile again, wouldn't be able to hear Yamamoto-kun laugh or hear Irie-nee yell at her games in anger while Shoichi-kun asked if he could have a turn. Wouldn't have any lessons with Irie-sensei or eat sushi prepared by Yamamoto-kun for dinner. 

She wouldn't be herself ever again once the hour was up. And judging by everyone's grim faces, they knew so too.

"...What's wrong, Nagi-chan, why you so sad?" Except for Tsuna, who just looks so confused.

"I-I, I'm going to die." the purple haired girl couldn't help but cry, noticing how a few of the others flinched at her statement.

"... Oh," Tsuna blinks, seeming to notice the bite for the first time, "but that's not hard to fix, so you won't die."

And before she can fully consider that statement, Tsuna _bites her over the bite mark and sucks_.  

Weirdly enough, it doesn't hurt; especially when the brunet adds in a pretty sparkling yellow flame, (she wonders how many colors of flames he has; so far she had seen an orange and green one.)

After spitting out this icky green stuff a few times, everyone else just watching in shock, the glowing eyed boy spit one last mouthful, the yellow flame healing the bite mark until it is just a scar.

"Whoa..." Takeshi and Shoichi say in unison, while the older people just stare.

"That should do it! So don't cry Nagi-chan; you look much better when you're happier!" Tsuna says with a smile.

Sniffling, the young girl hugs him, clinging on tightly.

She is so lucky to have a friend like him.

_VII*Fear*VII_

 

When they finally reached the check point for entering Namimori, there had been a complication. 

Tsuna, no matter how much they cared and treasured the young boy who had done so much for their group, did not look like a normal little boy, with his claw like hands, sharp teeth, and glowing orange-gold eyes.

Needless to say, the guards had not wanted to let him (really none of them) in; they had called the higher ups in order to get a verdict.  

Which meant the Hibari family, including their son, came to see what was going on.

Now, when Tsuna had left to the big city with his mother, she had given the school his excuse, which had been good for one weak.

Meaning he was only safe from being bit to death for one week. A day longer for any reason that wasn't good guarantee you got your beaten. 

And Tsuna (who never before had cause to be biten) hadn't been in school for over a month. Needless to say, the glowing eyed child paled, his eyes widening in fear.

And before any of the Hibari's could even question the group, Tsuna-

"HIIIIEEEEEEEE! I'msososorryHibari-sanIdidn'tmeantomisssomuchschoolbutnoneofthetransportationworkedandI'mnotgoodwithdirectionsandittooktimetogetheresopleaseDON'TBITEMETODEATH!"

-freaked out, trembling in fear of any punishment.

A bit of silence covered the room for a bit, before Hibari-senior broke out into laughter while his wife looked amused.

Their son stared hard for a bit, staring at the fluffy... Omnivore? (Because those teeth he saw didn't belong to a Herbivore), considering him.

(Dispite being the Carnivore he was, the steely eyed boy had a weakness for animals, especially the cute ones.

And this one was particularly fluffy.

"... Mine. You will now join in morning and evening patrols; don't be late." Kyoya announced, pinning an extra Disciplinary Commitee to the surprised boy's shoulder.

(It had been one of the best choices ever made.) 

_VIII*Worry*VIII_

Despite the luck in getting in, along with explaining how they survived along with Nagi-san's bite mark (everyone had been greatly interested in his flames after that) they were all worried about taking Tsuna home, even Hibari-san joining them saying he needed to know were the Omnivore lived.

Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn't the same boy he was all that time ago; what if his mother didn't accept the changes?

Tsuyoshi was already wondering if Tsuna would mind sharing a room with Takeshi or if he would mind staying in the dojo until he could ready the guest room. Irie Sakura was considering if Shoichi would mind sharing his bed with the other boy until she could buy another one while Yuuki tried to finger out games she could teach the kid that would take a while to learn. Takeshi and Shoichi made Tsuna promise to visit all the time while Kyoya was debating if he shouldn't just force the fluffy boy to stay at his home. Nagi just wanted him happy, even if her own situation wasn't any better.

Tsuna was just excited about seeing his Kaa-san. And there she was!

"KAA-SAN!" he cried, startling his mother who had been watering the garden, who turned around so fast.

The two just stared at each other, both taking each other in.

Tsuna couldn't help but worry; his mommy doesn't look like she's gotten a lot of sleep and she seems more delicate then before. 

"Tsu-Tsu-kun?" Nana asks, walking over hesitantly.

"Yeah, Kaa-san?" Tsuna asked, titling his head. (unbeknownst to the little boy, all the others were readying themselves.)

Blinking, the mother then let out the most beautiful smile as she scooped her little boy up.

"Ah~ My little Tsu-kun has gotten so manly when I couldn't see! Mama is so proud!" the brunet woman squealed, clinging to her child as a few tears dropped into his hair.

(The woman couldn't care how her little boy looked or that he now ate meat raw along with his vegetables; her baby had come back to her, which is more then she could say for her ever missing husband.

Nothing could stop her from loving her little boy.

Who's dying will changed from getting home to protecting it and all those he cares for.)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This isn't something that I'm focused on, that's GOaOA. I just needed this plot bunny out of my head.  
> Though I'm not sure; if you eat a zombie, is that cannibalism or not? Technically still human, but with the possibility of DNA being messed with and all, I'm not sure.
> 
> Also, this is what Tsuna says to Hibari when he is freaking out:  
> "I'm so so sorry Hibari-san I didn't mean to miss so much school but none of the transportation worked and I'm not good with directions and it took time to get here so please DON'T BITE ME TO DEATH!"


End file.
